Big night of offense at Triple-A

While the Orioles are struggling to hit with runners in scoring position, their Triple-A team in Norfollk had no problem doing that Saturday in a 12-3 romp over Durham. The Tides went 9 for 16 with RISP and left just four men on base. Brandon Snyder had three hits with three RBI and has knocked in five runs the past two games. Robert Andino, in his first game with the Tides, went 2 for 3 with three RBI and Josh Bell had three hits. Snyder is batting .363 and Bell is at .333. Troy Patton is...
For the Orioles: Felix Pie LF Adam Jones CF Nick Markakis RF Miguel Tejada 3B Luke Scott DH Matt Wieters C Ty Wigginton 1B Julio Lugo 2B Cesar Izturis SS Kevin Millwood RHP Second baseman Brian Roberts is listed among the reserves again today. So is Craig Tatum, who figured to start following a night game, but remains on the bench. For the Blue Jays: Bautista RF Gonzalez SS Lind DH Wells CF Overbay 1B Buck C Encarnacion 3B Snider LF McDonald 2B Marcum RHP
Blanked: Last year, the Orioles were shutout ten times. Tonight, they were blanked for the first time in 2010 on six hits by Toronto, 3-0. They went just 6 for 30 at bat, with five singles and one double to drop the team batting average on the year from .237 to .231. The O's went hitless, 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position and are batting just .174 (8 for 46) with RISP on the season. Tonight, they got just one runner past first base after the fourth inning. Last year, the O's...
Here's the opening statement from Orioles manager Dave Trembley: "(David) Hernandez pitched well, but their guy pitched better. That's it. We didn't score any runs. Had limited opportunities. Needed a couple hits and didn't get them. I'll take the way Hernandez pitched. We'll win some games if he pitches like that." Looking at the first five games of the season, Trembley said, "We played competitive baseball. The games are close. We've had, for the most part, well-pitched games out...
The only thing that needed saving at Camden Yards tonight was the Orioles offense. Toronto lefty Dana Eveland, who had an ERA of 7.16 last year with Oakland, pitched 7 1/3 scoreless frames tonight to lead the Jays to the 3-0 win. The O's fall to 1-4. Eveland allowed just five hits in winning his debut game as the Jays new fifth starter. The Orioles got the leadoff man on in three of the first four frames, but could never get him in. Eveland has done this to the Orioles before. On May 5,...
The O's just had a chance to get on the board vs. Toronto, but three straight hitters were retired with runners on first and second and none out in the last of the fourth. After a Nick Markakis walk and Miguel Tejada infield single, Garrett Atkins flied to short right. Then Matt Wieters hit a fly out to deep center and the runners moved up one base. But with two outs and second and third, Nolan Reimold was called out on strikes on a close pitch down and in. On the year, the Orioles are now...
With two outs in the fourth inning and first base open, the Orioles decided to walk Travis Snider intentionally and bring No. 9 hitter Jose Molina to the plate. Not a bad plan - except David Hernandez drilled Molina to force in the tie-breaking run. Blue Jays 1, Orioles 0. Hernandez's 93 mph fastball hit Molina in the fleshy part. No need to get specific. Just know that it was Molina, so it was fleshy. Maybe the pitch was retaliation for Blue Jays starter Dana Eveland nailing the...
Is it just me or does it seem like every O's starter exits the first inning of his outings with a high pitch count? David Hernandez needed 19 pitches while allowing a double and walk tonight in a shutout first frame. But he regrouped to get three quick outs in the second on seven pitches and faced four batters, needing 18 pitches in the third. Hernandez is at 44 pitches through three innings. That's a good number. If you can go through each inning on the average of 15 or less you would...
David Hernandez might want to get that fastball down in the zone. He was living the high life in the first inning, which is dangerous. but his velocity seemed fine. Hernandez was pumping his fastball at 94-95 mph in the first inning, when he stranded two runners to keep the game scoreless. He got two strikes on Lyle Overbay with 94 mph heat, then induced a pop up on an 84 mph slider to end the inning. Jose Bautista struck out on an 81 mph slider before Adam Lind doubled with two outs and...
Closer Mike Gonzalez sounds encouraged after going over some video with pitching coach Rick Kranitz and conferring with him about the mechanical flaws that, they hope, are causing him to fly off the mound and mishandle leads. "I definitely saw some things that I couldn't see, obviously, when you're on the mound," Gonzalez said. "I was doing some different things that I hadn't done prior in the years that I've been doing this. It was a big difference and I'm thankful that Kranny was...
Second baseman Brian Roberts estimated that it could be four to six days before he's ready to play, but he remains hopeful that he'll avoid a trip to the disabled list. Roberts said he feels "actually a little better than I thought." "I was definitely pretty sore last night, but woke up feeling encouraged. The recovery process is a little better than I thought." This is Roberts' first strained abdominal muscle. We'll all remember where we were the day it happened. "I don't know if...